Shuffle-board.



W. BUSH.

SHUFFLE BOARD APPLICATION FILED DBO. 5, 1912. RENEWED 001117, 1913.

1,099,690. Patented June 9, 1914.

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TE sTATns rA rnNT onFIoE.

WILLIAM BUSH, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR- TO M. S. WRIGHT COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

SI-IUFFLE-BOARD.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Application filed. December 5, 1912, Serial No. 735,057. Renewed October 17, 1913. Serial No. 795,790.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, lViLLrAar Been, a citizen of the United Eitates, residing at lVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Shuffle-Board, of which the following is a specification.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a game on the shulile board principle in which the pins to be knocked down are arranged so that they will not themselves be engaged by the ball or weightwhich is used, thus prolonging the life of the pins; to provide a construction in which the pins are not removed from the board at any time except for repairs so that they are not in danger of being lost, and yetthey are so arranged that they can be turned down parallel with the board so that they will not take up too much room in packing; and to provide an improved form of back stop and other features of construction which will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan of a shuttle board constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view through one of the pins and its support, and Fig. 4t is a view of a detail of construction.

The invention is shown as applied to a board or alley formed of two parts 10 and 11. Each of these parts is shown as provided with a vertical flange 12 and 13, respectively, which engage each other when the parts are set upright for play. One flange has a pair of dowel pins is entering corresponding perforations in the other to keep the parts in alinement and a bolt 15 is also shown for keeping the edges of the two members together. These flanges and the end flanges 16 constitute the supports for the board. I

The board 10 is provided with a line 17 constituting the limit over which the player is not allowed to pass his hand. The board 11 is provided near the end opposite the board 10 with side plates 18 and at this end is a back plate 19 mounted on a pair of metal slides 20 which work on pivoted guides 21 secured to the sides of the board. Each guide and slide is provided with integral flanges 22 overlapping the other to hold the parts together and permit the desired sliding motion. When the parts are in position for play the back board is moved out so as to be spaced from the main board and when ready for packing it is moved up close to it. The board 11 has a series of perforations 23 arranged where it is de sired to have the pins located.

llhe main feature of the invention consists in the arrangement and construction of the pins 25 and the way in which they are held in place. Each of these pins is elastically connected with the board. For this purpose each is shown as provided with a hollow socket 26 at the top in which is located a rubber ball 27. This rubber ball is provided with an integral rubber elastic 28 which extends down through the pin and one of the perforations 23 and is tied at :29 on the bottom of the board. The elastic tied at such a point along the elastic that when the base of the pin is directly on the board the elasticity of the rubber will hold it in position. The tops of the sockets 26 are closed by screws 30, which may be ornamented if desired. For the purpose of playing, however, a series of blocks 31 each havii'ig a slot 32 extending from one edge to the middle are inserted one under each pin, the elastic thus being stretched a little more so that the pins are held normally in position. Any desired number of heavy metallic or other disks 33 are provided for the purpose of knocking the pins down, and of course these may be replaced by balls or devices of other shapes, as desired.

In playing the game the blocks are set up under the pins with their slots at the front and the disks are slid along the board in a manner well understood in this art. They will engage the blocks and drive them out from under the pins and when they do so the disks will engage the stretched elastics and thus bound back when they hit the blocks a square blow in the center. By having the back board spaced from the end of the main board the disks and blocks dislodged will have a tendency to drop down in the space thus provided. It will be seen that in the use of this arrangement the small rectangular blocks receive the blows of the heavy disks or balls and consequently the pins themselves are saved from a great deal of wear and liability of breakage. When the blocks are knocked out the pins simply drop down so that they remain in position ready to have the blocks inserted under them for the next game and there is no trouble about placin them in the right position. In this way the dislodgment of the block can be observed readily and this can be emphasized by having the blocks and pins of different colors if desired. The fact that the pins always remain on the board is an important one, as there is no danger of los ing them and they are always necessarily set up in the same place. When it is necessary to replace the rubber elastics the screws in the top can be removed and the elastics replaced very readily. It will be understood, of course, that metallic springs of any desired kind can be substituted for the elastics if desired.

While I have illustrated and described only one embodiment of the invention, I am aware of the fact that the principles thereof can be carried out in other ways without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details illus trated and described, but

WVhat I do claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, a shuffle board having a set of pins elastically connected with the board, and removable blocks under the bins.

2. As an article of manufacture, a shuttle board having a set of pins provided with elastic members extending down through them and secured to the bottom of the board, and removable blocks adapted to be placed under the pins.

3. In a shuffle board, the combination with the board or alley, of a series of pins therefor, means for resiliently attaching the pins to the board or alley and holding the pins upright thereon, and a series of removable blocks adapted to be placed under the respective pins and arranged to be dislodged by a blow delivered upon the edge thereof.

4. In a shuttle board, the combination with the board or alley, of a series of pins there for, means for resiliently attaching the pins to the board or alley and holding the pins upright thereon, and a series of removable blocks adapted to be placed under the. respective pins and arranged to be dislodged by a blow delivered upon the edge thereof, said blocks each having a slot extending from one edge to the center, the. end of the slot co-inciding with the center of the pin.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a board having perforations therethrough, a set of pins each having a central passage therethrough, an elastic member held at the top of each pin and extending down through the same into and through one of said holes.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a board having perforations therethrough, a set of pins each having a central passage therethrough, an elastic member held at the top of each pin and extending down through the same into and through one of said holes, and removable blocks under said pins, each of said blocks having a fiat front surface, and a central slot extending from said surface backward to the center of the block for receiving said elastic member.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a board having perforations therethrough, a set of pins each having a central passage therethrough, an elastic member held at the top of each pin and extending down through the same into and through one of said holes, and a screw in the top of each pin for protecting the top of said elastic member.

8. As an article of manufacture, a pin for a shuffle board having a socket in the top thereof, a passage down through the center of the same from the socket, and a member in said socket having an elastic member extending therefrom down through the passage and secured below the passage.

9. As an article of manufacture, a pin for a shufie board having a socket in the top thereof, a passage down through the center of the same from the socket, a rubber ball in said socket having an integral elastic member extending down through the pas sage and secured below the passage, and a screw in the top of the pin for protecting the rubber ball.

10. In a shuffle board, the combination with a board or alley and a set of pins therefor, of a pair of pivoted members connected with the sides of the board or alley near the end thereof, a pair of slides mounted on said pivoted members and movable therealong, and a movable board connected with the ends of said slides.

11. A game board comprising a base, a series of movable pins on the base, a connection between the pins and the base for holding the pins on the base, and removable blocks or supports between the pins and base.

12. As an article of manufacture, a board having a set of pins, means projecting upwardly from the board and connected to each pin for normally supporting the pins upright, said means permitting vertical movement of the pins relative to the board, and movable blocks under the pins.

13. In a device of the character described, a board or alley, a series of pins therefor, supporting blocks, one for each pin and interposed between the pins and the board, said blocks being movable from beneath the pins to release the same, and connecting means between the pins and the board.

14. In a device of the character described, a board or alley, a series of pins normally arranged upright, supporting members arranged beneath the pins and supported on the upper surface of the board, said supporting members being movable so as to release the pins, and means projecting from the board for maintaining the pins in an upright position on the board when released by the supporting members.

15. In a device of the character described, a board or alley, a series of pins normally arranged upright, supporting members arranged beneath the pins and supported on the upper surface of the board, said members being movable so as to release the pins, and connecting means between the pins and the board for holding the pins to the board When released by the supporting members.

16. In a device of the character described, the combination of a board, a series of pins therefor, said pins having longitudinally ex- 7 Witnesses.

WILLIAM BUSH. Witnesses:

0. Forum: WEssoN, M. E. REGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. 0. 

